Seeley Swan to
Welcome

Y2K provided inspiration
to follow up on beliefs

From left, Doris Wilson, Pat Smith and Debbie Krantz
take a break from packaging.

From left are the people at
Swan Valley Centre behind the "back to basics" movement:
Debbie Krantz, Mike Smith, Pat Smith, and Doris Wilson.

Seeley Swan Pathfinder
April 1, 1999by Suzanne Vernon

From left are the people at Swan Valley Centre behind the "back
to basics" movement: Debbie Krantz, Mike Smith, Pat Smith,
and Doris Wilson.
Y2K, with its emphasis on self sufficiency and survival basics
for a prolonged possible crisis, has stimulated a Condon couple
to follow up on interests they've held for several years.

The new Swan Valley Buying Club, started by Mike and Pat Smith
of the Swan Valley Centre, will save people money on everything
from groceries and medicinal herbs to small kitchen appliances.

In addition, the Swan Valley Centre is now offering packaging
for bulk foods that need to be stored for longer periods of time.
The Smiths recently purchased a commercial sealer, which seals
foods in 7-mil thick mylar bags, complete with nitrogen packs
to absorb oxygen in the containers.

Pat Smith has been considering the idea of a community buying
club for several years.

"It's definitely cheaper than retail," she said during
a recent interview. But that isn't her only reason for starting
the new cooperative.

"I am having fun helping people to save money, and to
feel better," she explained.

Smith first became interested in using whole foods and natural
herbs about ten years ago, when health problems forced her to
examine her lifestyle.

"I learned all of this for health reasons," she explained.

Smith also believes that people become more self-sufficient
when they prepare for unforeseen events such as unemployment,
medical problems or natural disasters.

She has observed that because of Condon's remote location,
most local residents embrace the idea of being self-sufficient.
Since homesteaders first began arriving here in the early 1900s,
local grocery stores, including the Swan Valley Centre, have catered
to people with a keen interest in being prepared.

"It's good for people to be prepared. This is what our
ancestors did. What if there is a little glitch in the supply
system and you can't get (groceries) for a few days?" she
said.

Smith has researched dozens of wholesale suppliers to find
the best deals on a large variety of products. For example, in
the bulk foods department she offers everything from grains such
as wheat, corn and millet, to dehydrated foods such as non-instant
milk powder, cheese powder and dehydrated butter and eggs.

Herbs and spices are also available in bulk. For example, spices
that might cost $3 an ounce at the retail level, may cost only
$3 per pound through the buying club.

Smith recognizes that cooking with whole foods is not something
that everybody has learned to do. For that reason, she offers
to help people learn how to cook with whole grains. She schedules
bread making classes once a week and teaches people how to grind
their own wheat and make their own whole-wheat, low-fat bread
from scratch.

Smith also sells a variety of medicinal herb products at the
Swan Valley Centre. Herbal remedies help a variety of ailments,
she said. She has studied under various herbalists over the years,
and feels confident that she can help people stock their medicine
cabinets for emergencies.

The Swan Valley Centre can also order wheat grinders, mixers
and dehydrators and alternative energy gadgets such as hand crank
radios and solar flashlights for customers interested in those
items.

Smith will also be marketing pre-packaged whole food items
to stores elsewhere in the Northwest.

"There's a lot of people who don't do this kind of thing
because they don't know how," she said. "It's just getting
back to basics."

The Swan Valley Buying Club catalog is available at the Swan
Valley Centre in Condon.